"the lack of care, kindness and compsssion shown to my elderly father"

My father was recently admitted as an emergency and was an inpatient for nearly two weeks. During this time he was ignored on more than one occasion when he asked for the toilet, was spoken to sharply and was made to feel that he should not ask for assistance at night. He came out looking very frail but this was the first time he had ever felt vulnerable in hospital.

He has not felt able to tell me everything that he observed with the older patients in his ward, but it certainly includes a lack of patience, care and compassion for older people who have multiple co-morbidities and mobility problems. I felt ashamed as a fellow health professional to hear about this especially as my whole family were big supporters of the Alex. I am concentrating on trying to get my father back to his old self - one that is not frightened about whether he will have to return to that ward and the endemic uncaring culture that is there.